If you're using it as a reader only , then no but like others here I would use it as an 'entertainment' device for flights and train journeys so the lack of expandable memory could be an issue especially when away from home and access to a cloud, pc or alternative storage and recovery.

I have something called a MiFi it is a pocketable WiFi router connecting over 3G and 4G networks. My ASUS transformer doesn't take a SIM card so I can't connect with it if I don't have WiFi access. To be specific it is a Huawei E586 and it has 3GB (strange number, but I assume 1GB is taken up by operating instructions) of storage and a MicroSD slot, hence I can expand storage if need be. It is still a tad bulky, think cell phones by Siemens in the '90s, but I can see them getting smaller and perhaps expanding the number of slots. That way you can, in the future, have both cellular access and storage with some of these Cloud devices.
You gotta love technology. Whenever I run into geeks I make sure to take good care of them.

I have something called a MiFi it is a pocketable WiFi router connecting over 3G and 4G networks. My ASUS transformer doesn't take a SIM card so I can't connect with it if I don't have WiFi access.

I just turn on the WiFi hotspot capability of my Android cell phone to connect my Transformer to the Web away from home. I would not use that for video media though, since 3G access cost much more than my home DSL and is significantly slower than my 16Mbit DSL. The microSD slot in the Transformer can hold enough video for days away from home, and the SD slot in the keyboard can hold even more, so NO TABLET WITHOUT SD capability.

I just turn on the WiFi hotspot capability of my Android cell phone to connect my Transformer to the Web away from home. I would not use that for video media though, since 3G access cost much more than my home DSL and is significantly slower than my 16Mbit DSL. The microSD slot in the Transformer can hold enough video for days away from home, and the SD slot in the keyboard can hold even more, so NO TABLET WITHOUT SD capability.

I'm seriously thinking about it. My Prs350 doesn't have an SD card slot, and I get along just fine without it.

Only two cases where an *ereader* owner will need more than even 500MB of internal storage:

1) Someone who needs lots of technical ebooks with plenty of charts and images (they will migrate to tablets, however, for larger & clearer displays - eInk is great for text, not great for anything else).

2) Someone who is so obsessive that they feel the need to have the entirety of Project Gutenberg on their reader at all times. :P

Tablets are a completely different matter, even ones advertised as being primarily ereaders (Nook, Vox, Fire, etc.).

I just turn on the WiFi hotspot capability of my Android cell phone to connect my Transformer to the Web away from home.

Lucky you, then. For people in North America wi-fi access is mostly limited to chain coffee shops, McDonald's, public libraries, and a few other scattered locations. Not nearly enough to rely on. (for me, it's a public library and McDonald's about a 10 minute walk from my place, then it's a half-hour bus ride to the next nearest hotspot (another McD's)

Lucky you, then. For people in North America wi-fi access is mostly limited to chain coffee shops, McDonald's, public libraries, and a few other scattered locations.

I live in North America a few months out of the year, specifically the California central valley. I think that Wi-Fi is more accessible there than it is here in Germany, at least free access is. I use McDonald's and Starbucks hot spots there, but the Wi-Fi hotspot built into my Android smartphone gives me access via EDGE or 3G everywhere I am, so when all else fails I just turn on the phone's Wi-Fi hotspot wherever I am, here or in California. Unfortunately, EDGE and 3G have quota limits that can end up costing money, so Wi-Fi is a better choice when available.

I live in North America a few months out of the year, specifically the California central valley. I think that Wi-Fi is more accessible there than it is here in Germany, at least free access is. I use McDonald's and Starbucks hot spots there, but the Wi-Fi hotspot built into my Android smartphone gives me access via EDGE or 3G everywhere I am, so when all else fails I just turn on the phone's Wi-Fi hotspot wherever I am, here or in California. Unfortunately, EDGE and 3G have quota limits that can end up costing money, so Wi-Fi is a better choice when available.

Since you're specifically paying extra on your plan to use your cell phone (through it's 3G/4G connection) as a hotspot, it doesn't actually invalidate my point - public wi-fi in North America is scattered enough that you can't rely on it as a tablet user who is stuck using the cloud to access most of their files and functionality.

I live in North America a few months out of the year, specifically the California central valley. I think that Wi-Fi is more accessible there than it is here in Germany, at least free access is. I use McDonald's and Starbucks hot spots there, but the Wi-Fi hotspot built into my Android smartphone gives me access via EDGE or 3G everywhere I am, so when all else fails I just turn on the phone's Wi-Fi hotspot wherever I am, here or in California. Unfortunately, EDGE and 3G have quota limits that can end up costing money, so Wi-Fi is a better choice when available.

WiFi and 3G are completely different things. When you connect via 3G/EDGE, you're NOT using WiFi.

Since you're specifically paying extra on your plan to use your cell phone (through it's 3G/4G connection) as a hotspot

I DO NOT pay extra to use my phone as a WiFi hotspot. It is a built in capability of Android that I use, and I DO NOT need any permission from a carrier to do so. I have heard that some people actually pay the carrier to be able to that, but in reality the carrier has no real way to prevent an Android phone from doing that.

WiFi and 3G are completely different things. When you connect via 3G/EDGE, you're NOT using WiFi.

Of course they are!!!!! I have been an engineer in various communications technologies, including cellular, for over 30 years, so that certainly was not a mystery.

When I have my phone connected to via EDGE or 3G to the cellular network, I simply configure the WiFi in my phone to act as a hot spot to provide an Internet link via WiFi to my tablet which does not have EDGE or 3G capability. That also means I only need one cellular data connection for as many devices as I want to use it with. It is very easy to do, and certainly does not require a great deal of technical knowledge.

but in reality the carrier has no real way to prevent an Android phone from doing that.

Are you sure about that. They should be able to see that you use the connection as a hot spot and just disble the data.

I wondered a bit about that because if you as a tourist buy this T-mobile sim card for $50 I think the contract says that you are not allowed to use it as a hot spot but of course it works to do it at least if you have an European phone.

Are you sure about that. They should be able to see that you use the connection as a hot spot and just disble the data.

I wondered a bit about that because if you as a tourist buy this T-mobile sim card for $50 I think the contract says that you are not allowed to use it as a hot spot but of course it works to do it at least if you have an European phone.

Theoretically of course anything could be locked. The could lock down the firmware so nothing can run on it. They could make their datanet only pass traffic they approve of.
In reality, even on Verizon, where, except for the new ShareEverything plans, they want to charge you for using the Mobile Hotspot feature, you can install and run the FoxFi hotspot app with, so far, no consequences or extra cost. Don't even have to side load, it's in the app store and the phone doesn't block it or anything.

Yes, almost 100%. I sincerely doubt if they do IP packet inspection, and I am not even sure if that would give anything away. Sometimes I just terminate packets on my phone and other times I pass them on through the WiFi connection, so it would take some pretty intrusive packet inspection to detect the routing, I would think? Anyway, it has not been a problem for the last couple of years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

I wondered a bit about that because if you as a tourist buy this T-mobile sim card for $50 I think the contract says that you are not allowed to use it as a hot spot but of course it works to do it at least if you have an European phone.

I do have a European phone, but a USA T-Mobile phone would be better considering the goofy radio frequencies T-Mobile uses in the USA. In the USA I am usually stuck with EDGE because of that. Of course, the T-Mobile Android system would have to be removed and replaced with one of XDA or other Android systems to take Advantage of Androids built-in hot spot capability.